


Blossoms and Bones

by LilacMemorial



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Light on the angst and probably not till later, will update tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:35:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28144719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacMemorial/pseuds/LilacMemorial
Summary: A collection of drabbles involving Sans and a college student that fell into the Underground.
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. Jackets and Stir Fry

**Author's Note:**

> Garden of Everything - Maaya Sakamoto feat. Steve Conte
> 
> Eyes of pure  
> Deep azure  
> Quite unbelievable  
> Sun's daughter, you've been made  
> Not to fade  
> Quite inconceivable

"C'mon oooonnnn."

  
"nope."

  
" _Sans_!"

  
"that's my name."

  
"Plllleeeeaaassseee?"

  
"doesn't work on me, pal."

  
But he glanced at her from the corner of his socket anyways as she took in a big breath of air before letting it out in a very loud, whiny, and obnoxious -

  
" **PPPPPLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEAAAASSSSSEEEEEEEE**?"

  
"OH FOR GOODNESS SAKES SANS JUST LET HER WASH YOUR JACKET. STARS ONLY KNOW THE LAST TIME YOU CLEANED IT!" called Papyrus from the kitchen. There was the sound of boiling water and faint sizzling along with the aroma of sauteeing onions. Papyrus was trying a recipe their new human friend introduced them to and it was so straightforward that neither she nor Sans thought to go in and keep an eye on him. Instead, the pair was on the couch with some generic monster news program turned on low. Sans was only pretending to pay attention to the three-eyed monster on the screen with his chin resting on his knuckles and his elbow on the couch's armrest.

  
The redhead perched on her knees beside him had the biggest puppy dog pout she could muster. Her lower lip quivering, freckled nose scrunched while her green eyes were as wide as she could make them. Purposefully remaining unblinking to add an extra shine and watery quality to the look in efforts to weaken his defenses. The joke was on her - Sans was impervious to pouty faces by buxom human women.

  
Mostly.

  
Sorta.

  
"Sans." He looked from the TV back to her again. She had gone from pouting to a look full of determination while her lips skewed into a huffy little frown. It made him want to boop her on the nose just to agitate her even more. Like a babybones on the playground, it was more fun to harass the girls than play nice with them. "You haven't washed this jacket since I've known you. It has condiment stains and other gunk. Plus it smells more like grease from Grillby's fries than it does like anything else!"

  
"whose fault is that? Paps doesn't eat from Grillby's and you only ever order the same thing."

  
"Ugh, that's not the point! It. Needs. To. Be. Washed-"

  
His grin broadened as she lunged for him. It took no effort to simply teleport to the other end of the couch as she squeaked and fell onto the cushion where he had been not moments before. From behind she felt a bony, slipper clad foot giving her leg a poke as she righted herself in a flail of red curls and flushed cheeks.

  
"You _bonehead_! That's cheating!"

  
"such language. you're making my bones rattle, doll." He winked.

  
She scowled and lunged once more. Off he went again! Only this time he materialized on the back of the couch in a crouch. Wiggling his fingers down towards her with his eyelights bright and his grin brighter still. "hiya."

  
"Why you little b-"

  
"HUMAN! SANS! STOP BICKERING LIKE AN OLD MARRIED COUPLE AND COME GET PLATES OF THIS-" Papyrus stopped in the doorway, reaching down to pull the recipe card from the pocket of his 'Kiss the Cook' apron to read the name of the dish again. "ONION STIR FRY." 

  
"yeah, Bella. go get a plate."

  
As she stood up with a grumble, her finger shot out and nearly poked him right on his nasal ridge as she growled towards him in a voice that lacked any real edge. "Mark my damn words, skeleton, I will be washing that jacket before the night is over." Then she stomped towards the kitchen while flashing Papyrus a significantly sweeter smile. Sans could hear her ooo'ing and aaaa'ing from the livingroom as she praised his bro's attempt at a pasta dish he had never had before. The 'NYEHEHEH!' of pride could be heard from down the street as Sans finally got off the couch to join them in grabbing a plate of grub.

  
He turned the corner. "smells good, bro-"  
  
SPLAT.

  
"I DIDN'T ACTUALLY THINK THAT WOULD WORK BUT YOU WERE CORRECT, HUMAN."

  
Sans blinked rapidly past the globs of cream that slid down the front of his face down over the front of his shirt and jacket before splattering on the floor. But Bella (despite grinning like a she-devil from the side by the stove) wasn't the one who had pied him in the face so fully and absolutely. Sans slowly turned his attention to his bro, tongue manifesting as he licked at his teeth. No bake cheesecake with whipped cream. Nice.

  
"i gotta hand it to ya, bro, this really takes the _cake_."

  
"IT WAS THE HUMAN'S PAYMENT FOR TEACHING ME THE RECIPE. SHE ALSO OFFERED TO CLEAN UP THE MESS. BUT NOW YOUR JACKET REALLY NEEDS TO BE WASHED."

  
Sans knew when to take a loss. With a dramatic sigh (even though he was grinning so broadly that his cheeks would have hurt if he had any), he shrugged off his jacket and gave it to the outstretched hand of their resident human. In return, she handed him a washcloth that was already wet with warm water that had been on standby. "Actually-" She reached a finger out, scooped up a dollop of cheesecake onto her finger, and sucked it off with an 'mmm!' of approval as he watched her with amusement. "I'll go toss this in the wash right now and then clean the floor!" 

  
He watched as she left the room and Papyrus handed him a plate of stir-fry. Giving him a hearty clap on the back and a loud, wistful sigh. "YOU ARE SUCH A BAD INFLUENCE, BROTHER. I HOPE YOU'RE PROUD OF YOURSELF."

  
"absolutely."


	2. The Secret Tree

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodbye Alice in Wonderland - Jewel
> 
> Yes a heart can hallucinate  
> If it's completely starved for love  
> Can even make monsters seem like  
> Angels from above
> 
> You forged my love like a weapon  
> And turned it against me like a knife  
> You broke my last heart-string  
> But you opened up my eyes

Deep in Waterfall, there's a secret tree.   
  
It's gnarled and twisted and looking like it's been there since time itself. The trunk is a sandy brown that looked on the verge of petrifying while the branches curve and twist to create a variety of natural seats and ledges framed by glossy green leaves. It sits by itself in a cavern far off the usual pathways in Waterfall with one distinct characteristic that prompted Bella to grab Sans and show it to him.   
  
Embedded in the tree were glowing stones like those in the ceiling of Waterfall.   
  
It hadn't taken long for Sans to make a guess as to what it was.   
  
"my guess is stones from the ceiling fell over time and landed on the tree as it grew. like pictures from the surface of trees growing around bikes or toys and assimilating them." His perpetual grin had softened a bit as he stared up towards the top of the tree with a wistful, "nature is so cool."   
  
Bella un-officially christened it hers and squirreled her way to a particularly cozy branch that had coiled around on itself until it created a circular seat. Then she patted the branch next to her that had done something similar with a smile down towards him. "So let's enjoy it! Up you go!"   
  
It created a tradition. For a while, it was 'the tree'. Then Bella overhead Sans comment to Papyrus that it was 'her tree' when the younger skeleton brother asked where Bella liked to steal time to herself. She had felt content that she managed to covet a tiny piece of this fantastic world for herself that she could take solace in. Sans joined and sometimes Papyrus but it was mostly Sans when he slacked off from sentry duties.   
  
But...something was missing.   
  
For weeks the redhead puzzled over this. Lost in thought while cleaning the floors or washing Papyrus's scarf. Once she almost burnt the oatmeal she had been trying to help prepare for breakfast and the house was filled with her colorful backwood curses as she ran to the sink to pour water into the smoking mess that was no longer consumable.   
  
It was later that same day that it occurred to her what was missing. The epiphany hit her so hard and fast with its simplicity that all she could do was stare into space before promptly exclaiming to the showerhead how much of an idiot she was while continuing to shampoo her mass of red hair.   
  
Then, later that night, she proudly displayed her findings to the shorter skeleton. His brow bone arched.   
  
"it's just the usual tree."   
  
"No, no, no! Here-" With a light push she turned him to the side of it. It didn't take long to study the area she pointed at before he let out a laugh.   
  
There, on the bark in sharpie, were two horribly drawn stick figures that seemed to represent him and Bella. The hands only had three fingers and the feet were just lines but his head was _huge_ and her hair looked like a puffball. He finally managed to catch his breath while wiping his sockets with a snicker.   
  
"nice doodle. it really _drew_ me in."   
  
Her eyes rolled. "Shitass. It's no longer just 'my' tree or 'a' tree. It's **our** tree. You really liked it when I showed it to you and I come here with you almost as much as I come here by myself. I couldn't bring myself to carve into the bark itself so this was the next best option!" She proudly presented it with an airy wave of her hand like she was a show hostess. The effect was offset by the playful waggling of her eyebrows. "So! What do you think?"   
  
"heh." His hands remained fixed in his pockets still. Obscuring how his hands had fisted in the folds of his jacket.   
  
"it's great, kiddo. i like it."


	3. Burrowing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My profile is now going to be where I post updates and statuses of this and my other work, Prophecies and Diatribes! If ever you're wondering when an update might be go and check there!
> 
> \-----
> 
> Science and Faith - The Script
> 
> Tried to break love to a science  
> In an act of pure defiance  
> I broke her heart  
> There's a pull up on her theories  
> There's a watch her growing weary  
> I broke her heart.  
> Having heavy conversations  
> About the furthest constellations of our souls  
> We're just trying to find some meaning  
> In the things that we believe in  
> But we got some ways to go  
> Of all of the things that she's ever said  
> She goes and says something that just knocks me dead.
> 
> You won't find faith or hope down a telescope  
> You won't find heart and soul in the stars  
> You can break everything down to chemicals  
> But you can't explain a love like ours

"SANS! SANS YOU LAZYBONES WHERE ARE YOU!?"  
  


"right here." He was already heading into the kitchen for some ketchup, anyway.  
  


Papyrus whirled around as his brother appeared. "AH GOOD THERE YOU ARE! I HAVE COME ACROSS SOME VERY USEFUL INFORMATION REGARDING OUR HUMAN FRIEND!"  
  


"lay it on me, bro."  
  


Papyrus rather triumphantly held out what looked like a worn, threadbare wallet made of dark purple denim. In the front pocket protected by clear plastic was a driver's license. Sans looked from Papyrus to the wallet and back again.  
  


"getting back into denim?"  
  


Papyrus sighed deeply. "NO, BROTHER. SHE LEFT IT IN HER PANTs THAT WERE GOING TO GO IN THE WASH. LOOK AT THE DATE!"  
  


Sans looked at the date and then glanced at the calendar that Papyrus kept track of with large red X's to mark the passing of days. "...well whaddya know. today's her birthday."  
  


"PRECISELY! AND I, AS HER BEST FRIEND, WOULD BE A FAILURE AS SAID BEST FRIEND IF I DID NOT MAKE HER SPECIAL SPAGHETTI AND A CAKE FOR SUCH AN AUSPICIOUS DAY."  
  


"i bet she'll love it." Bella would, too. She always enjoyed Papyrus's gestures of friendship and goodwill. In return, she was helping teach him more dishes to make besides pasta and improvising with things that were more readily available in the Underground than the surface. Like something she called 'cinnamon rolls' that used cinnabunnies and a maple glaze. Now _those_ were good.  
  


Papyrus waved a hand. "YES, YES OF COURSE SHE WOULD! THE GREAT PAPYRUS NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE! BUT SUCH AN AUSPICIOUS DAY IS NOT COMPLETE WITHOUT THE ONE IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE CELEBRATING! I HAVEN'T SEEN HER YET TODAY TO CONGRATULATE HER MYSELF AND I NEEDS ATTEND TO THE CELEBRATION PREPARATIONS, SO GO AND FIND HER!"  
  


Sans glanced longingly to the fridge. But ketchup -  
  


"I WILL EVEN STOP BY GRILLBY'S AND GET YOU TWO WHOLE BOTTLES IF YOU GO AND FETCH THE HUMAN."  
  


Sans grinned and winked. "you drive a hard bargain. i guess i have no choice but to go and _ketchup_ to her."  
  


He took one of his shortcuts just as Papyrus screeched at the pun.  
  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
Usually, it was fairly easy to find Bella. She was only ever between Snowdin and Waterfall. She was too nervous to go into Hotland without either him or Papyrus and it was an unspoken agreement that even Hotlands was pushing things given how close it was to New Home and the barrier. Monsters out there would be more likely to spill to the King that a human was in the Underground and, well -  
  


Yeah, no one wanted to think about that.  
  


He tried Grillby's. Nope. No one had seen her since she came in with Sans the day before yesterday. So he tried the ('their' he silently corrected with his grin widening slightly at the thought) secret tree and there was no sign of her. The blanket she had tucked in one of the snugger curves of the overhead branches was undisturbed and the stick figures she had doodled of them in the bark was starting to fade. It needed to be redrawn every week or so given the humidity in Waterfall.  
  


So he went out to his sentry station. Maybe she thought he was on duty today? But there was no one there and no tracks of boots ala tiny ginger human woman. So where did she go?  
  


Sans felt unease creeping through his bones. This wasn't like her. If she was going somewhere she usually said something. The couch was already made up which meant she had long since woken up and gone elsewhere. He had only just come out of his room and it was past eleven in the morning and Paps was an early riser making noise usually around seven AM...  
  


That left four or more hours unaccounted for. Four or more hours where something could have happened and no one would have a clue. She was smart enough to bundle up when she went out and she was familiar enough with the area not to get lost.  
  


He took another shortcut to the house and moved around outside. Tracks of Paps getting the mail and going inside, the wheels from the Nice Cream stand and those of the bunny that sold them, some more bunny tracks that were smaller in size-  
  


Sans let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding when he saw a pair of tracks that were about the right size going from the front door and then veering behind the house. He followed them as they went past the shed and into the forest beyond, weaving around pines and cedars and the occasional hardy bush before the tracks ended at a ledge that dropped down into a snowy pond covered in sheets of ice and frosty cattails. His soul plummeted. Oh stars no-  
  


But before panic could send him all but diving in, a bright head of red hair popped up from beneath the tip of the ledge. "Sans? What are you doing out here?"  
  


He couldn't stop the breath of relief. "i thought you had slipped and...fallen...in..."  
  


She was quick to glance away to the side before ducking back where she had come from but not before he saw the puffy redness of her eyes. He shortcutted to the spot she had been just before and glanced around. It wasn't a ledge so much as it was the top of an old hollowed out burrow. Likely one that had been used by one of the few animals that had wandered into the Underground through little cracks and crevices of Mt. Ebbott. Or who, like a few humans, survived the long fall from an opening up above.  
  


Inside the burrow was a little brown paper bag, two thick blankets, an old CD player with ratty headphones, some CDs, a box of tissues (with a small pile of dirty wads), and a few thick blankets that now housed one human. Sans stepped further in and crouched in front of her. Red curls poked out of the top of the cocoon she had retreated back into and he could distinctly make out her muffled sniffles in the silence that settled between them.  
  


He attempted humor to try and coax her out. "you know, i got pretty worried back there. thought you took a long walk off a short ledge into that pond. wouldn't have gone very _swimmingly_ for ya."  
  


Silence.  
  


San's eyelights dimmed slightly and his grin faded somewhat. Not even a pity laugh? Well, shit.  
  


He tried again. "what's in the bag? you can always _taco_ 'bout it to me. i promise not to steal your grub."  
  


More silence that was only broken by a sad little hiccup.  
  


He completely abandoned the jokes as he shuffled closer with his slippers scraping loudly against the frozen earth as he reached up for the edge of the blanket. Giving her a moment to protest being uncovered and when she didn't he eased it down from her head so he could at least uncover her eyes and nose.  
  


Her fern green eyes were red and puffy with fat, hot tears leaking freely before rolling down her cheeks or getting the blanket damp. Her freckled nose was red and already looked irritated. Probably to do with the cheap tissue paper mound nearby. She stared at him without a word except for the occasional sniffle and hiccup.  
  


"...hey." His voice was far more gentle now that he could see the damage. Now wasn't a time for humor. Fewer tears and then they'd see but in the meantime, he needed to pull from his reserves of seriousness. "talk to me, kiddo. what's wrong?"  
  


Bella's eyes closed tight and her head quickly shook.  
  


"ya? not in a mood for talkin'?"  
  


Another firm head shake. That was something, at least.  
  


"ya eat yet?"  
  


Nod.  
  


"pack and drink some water?"  
  


Another nod.  
  


"does any of this have to do with the fact your birthday is today?"  
  


Her eyes flew open. "How did-" Her words were a hoarse croak that forced her to clear her throat before she could try again. "How did you know that?"  
  


Sans shrugged. "you left your wallet in your pant pocket. bro found it while doing laundry. wanted me to find ya so he could do special birthday stuff to celebrate."  
  


"...oh." Her voice became so small.  
  


With his hand still on the edge of the blanket, Sans nudged it down further and tucked it under her chin so he could see the entirety of her face. Her cheeks were blotchy and her lips were dry and chapped from crying and being out in the cold. He could see the collar of her heavier jacket so at least she was staying warm.   
  


Bella didn't stop him but she couldn't meet his eyes either. He tried to coax her into talking more but she spoke before he could.  
  


"M'homesick."  
  


Ah. Yeah, that would do it.  
  


"birthday make you think about home?"  
  


She shrugged. Which in Bellaspeak meant 'yeah, pretty much'.  
  


Sans shuffled around her and swept aside the pile of dirty tissue and the paper bag (touching it felt like there were snack foods and a water bottle inside) before easing his back against the wall of the burrow. Then he reached over and took the human by the middle and settled her between his legs with her back against his chest and slipped his arms around her torso. A moment later there was magic humming more prominently through his bones and Bella soon let out a sigh from the heat it generated.  
  


They stayed in silence for a few minutes. Sans wasn't worried. It would take Papyrus a few hours to do whatever it was he was doing. Plus he had his phone on him in case he called.  
  


When she broke the silence to start speaking about her parents, her older brother, her hometown, her pet snake Girlie, and all the other little parts of her life she yearned for, Sans let his sockets close as he listened. Letting her voice wash over him along with the hum of his bones and the peaceful forest life outside of the burrow.  
  


He'd stay here for as long as she needed. She was his best friend, after all.


End file.
